Ian Lewandowski.
Illinois artist Nirosta Steel has issued a statement following social media backlash after it was revealed the artist appeared to be following social media accounts featuring minors on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu.
now wtf is nirosta steel following suspicious ai shotacon accounts and random kids on xiaohongshu????? pic.twitter.com/5SGKpcifqp
— simonwestgate (@simonwestgate) August 24, 2026
A screenshot of Steel's following list posted by @simonwestgate on X on August 24, 2026, showed accounts that post what appears to be AI-generated imagery of young boys doing activities like playing soccer or practicing martial arts. Other posts, which had been redacted to hide their contents, appear to show the minors shirtless. The post on X referred to the accounts as "shotacon," a Japanese slang word which refers to a genre of anime or manga depicting adolescent males in a sexually suggestive or explicit manner.
In response to the backlash, Steel has shared the following statement with The FADER:
"A few weeks ago my husband told me people on Rednote were getting into my music, so I went on to take a look and followed a bunch of accounts quickly without paying much attention to what they posted.
I was really surprised when a friend sent me screenshots of accounts I followed. I did not realize that a few of the accounts contained highly toxic content, so I deleted my profile. Those accounts don’t reflect my interests in any way.
I understand the concern, but I can’t help thinking that ageism and homophobia are also factors in the discussion surrounding me.
I apologize to any of my fans who were upset by this misunderstanding. I need to be more careful on social media. I ask that you have a little grace for an old hippie who doesn’t know his way around the internet."
Steel has had a rapid rise in the indie music scene since the June 29 release of his album MY SKYSCRAPER via the indie label ULYSSA. The 69-year old musician, a close collaborator of the late Arthur Russel, spent much of his life traveling around the world, all while writing and releasing music in obscurity. Buoyed by consistent adoration in the music press (Pitchfork awarded Steel a 9.0; The FADER published a reported feature about how Steel and ULYSSA put the album together), Steel quickly notched major career milestones in just a few short months. He has four sold-out shows at Nightclub 101 in September, is set to open for Chanel Beads at Knockdown Center in October, and is playing Pitchfork Festival in London this November.
Two shows in Chicago set for September 18 and 19 at Hideout were canceled with no explanation given, though its organizer, writer Joshua Minsoo Kim, and ULYSSA's Eric Deines had a public back-and-forth on x.Steel's Chicago show has now been re-booked for January at Lincoln Hall, presented by Chicago label Audiotree.
As of September 4, 2026, Steel's upcoming dates in New York City and London will proceed as planned.
This is a developing story.
